Remembering Her Kiss
by mrs clark gable
Summary: Sami crashes, Lucas almost drinks, and the truth comes out. Kate gets caught and Lucas and Sami are reunited. Starts off angsty with a happy ending. Oneshot ficlet.


**This is just some therapy to help me through lumi hell. Maybe it will help other people, too. It's set after the episode where Lucas leaves the hotel room after finding Sami and Brandon. Oh and I hate Kate, I hate Kate, I hate Kate, I hate Kate. I can't wait to see her go down, I hope she dies. On second thought, I hope she lives to see Sami marry Lucas, Belle leave Phillip and Billie move on from Bo. Then John can kick her out, Roman can divorce her, and she can be left with absolutely nothing. She can go torture Austin in New York for awhile.**

She had to reach him; she had to convince him it was a set up. She would never cheat. Sami Brady did not cheat! There was no way she was that much of her mother's daughter. Marlena cheated, Carrie cheated, Franco cheated, Brandon cheated, Lexie cheated, but Sami did _not_ cheat.

Angrily she wiped away the tears blurring her vision. She had no right to cry. She may not have cheated, but somehow this was all her fault. If she had just stayed home none of it would have happened. A flash of Lucas's angry, hurt face as he ripped the covers from over her head in her mind caused the tears to stream faster.

Being that Sami Brady had never met a car she couldn't crash, the blinding downpour of tears were more powerful than she gave them credit for. Reaching up once again to stem the flow, she failed to notice the car coming at her. The next thing she knew was searing, white-hot pain then darkness.

………………………………...

The deep, pulsing music and thick screen of smoke gave the illusion that the bar was throbbing with life. Men and women of all ages mingled, talked, and laughed, as they got more and more drunk. Even in their varying degrees of intoxication, every single one of them knew to steer clear of the dark, brooding man in the corner. Lucas knew they were avoiding him, and he was grateful for it.

After the night he had, he just wanted to get hammered. He had almost gone to Alice's, but someone was sure to recognize him there. If there was one thing he knew, it was that he did not want to talk to anyone. Next he had considered heading off to the Cheatin' Heart, but the name alone was reason enough not to. Finally, he had settled on a seedy, little out of the way bar where he could wallow in peace.

What bugged him the most was that he couldn't remember the last time he kissed her. Lucas wasn't sure why that was important, but it was. He couldn't single out the last specific time his lips had connected with hers and that _feeling_ had taken over. That feeling of perfect calm, yet breath-taking, heart-pounding excitement.

He knew it hadn't been long, probably not even 12 hours, but Brandon had had his hands on a lot more of her much more recently. The thought of that dirty, muscle-bound, greasy, jerk touching his Sami was too much. His hand closed painfully around the full shot glass and before he knew it the glass had crushed in his hand.

With nothing more than morbid curiosity, he looked at his bloody palm. It stung like a bitch, the open wound mixing with the alcohol he hadn't even started drinking yet. With no regard for pain, Lucas picked the broken pieces of glass from the cut. It wasn't deep and after he applied pressure with a few napkins the bleeding had stopped. He was well enough to signal the bartender for another.

With a second drink secured, Lucas went back to torturing himself by reliving the moment when his life fell apart over and over again. It was completely out of character for Sami to cheat. He wasn't stupid, he knew that. Obviously, he just hadn't measured up to the good doctor Brandon, or perfect Austin for that matter. He had never measured up.

Bitterly he lifted the glass, he was ready. He was ready to feel the alcohol burn as it went down his throat. He was ready to feel the warmth spread through his senses. He was ready for the world to become hazy. Lucas was ready to loose himself in the alcohol. He was ready to forget.

What stopped him was the familiar jangle of the _Who Wants to be a Millionaire _theme music. It was his cell phone. He and Sami used to sit squished together on the couch and watch old re-runs on the Game Show Network. She would always show off and answer the questions, then gloat when she got them right. She had set it as his ring tone so that he would think of her every time it rang "… and how she was smarter than him. You know, to keep that ego down to a livable size."

Hastily he answered the phone, both to fend off the memories and give whomever it was hell for keeping him from his drinking. His anger turned rapidly to panic as the secretary at Salem University Hospital calmly informed him of Sami's accident. How could this woman be so damn composed! Drink forgotten, Lucas threw down enough money to cover the drinks, damage, and a tip, then ran out the door.

………………………………...

Kate Roberts felt great. She felt like she could dance, skip, sing, and do a little jig. Sami Brady was out. She was no longer in Lucas's life. Soon Will wouldn't want to speak to her. Things were looking up, and soon John would be putty in her hands.

She would have gone back to the penthouse and secured her place there just a little further, but she couldn't leave her grandson alone. She always took care of her boys, that was the reason why she had to get rid of Sami. The phone was ringing, but in her euphoric state of mind Kate didn't feel like answering it.

"Mr. Roberts? This is Salem University Hospital calling on behalf of a Miss Samantha Gene Brady. You are listed as her emergency contact and I'm afraid there's been an accident. I suggest you come down right away. Oh wait, your cell phone number is listed here as well, so I'll try that."

With cat-like reflexes, Kate moved quickly. First deleting the message on the answering machine, then blazing through every possible place Lucas would keep a cell phone. In defeat she sank down onto the couch, he had it with him. Well, she would just have to cut him off at the hospital.

………………………………...

Lucas skid to a stop outside of Sami's hospital room. He didn't want to go inside. With a humorless laugh he realized that it was the same room she had been in after she fell through Tony Dimera's French doors. The hospital should put aside a special room just for Sami, it seemed she ended up here at least once a year.

He turned the handle and almost opened the door when a doctor he had never seen before stopped him, "I'm sorry, sir, but only family are allowed in a patient's room."

"I'm her fiancé," he almost choked on the word. He may be concerned, but Lucas had not forgotten her betrayal. Calling himself her fiancé was a joke, "Are you Sami's doctor? How is she?"

"Miss Brady has a broken leg and a few broken ribs. There is a lot of bruising, but no internal damage. All in all, she was very lucky. Although, there is something strange here. Are you aware of any medications she may have been taking?"

"What? No, no, she's not on anything."

"That is odd, because we found a incredibly high level of a very specific drug in her system. It is an extremely strong sedative, but it can act as a way to lower a person's inhibitions. Just a small amount more and the dosage could have been fatal."

Lucas struggled to digest this new information. What could it mean? Were she and Brandon really set up? Did Brandon drug her! If he did, the bastard was going to get his ass kicked. But as she walked toward him, Lucas focused all his rage on a much more likely suspect.

"Lucas, baby, is Sami alright?"

"What did you do, mother?" his voice was deathly low and dangerous, "What did you do!"

"I didn't do anything!"

"Oh really! So you didn't try to sabotage my relationship. You didn't drug Sami and put her in bed with Brandon. You didn't try to break my heart and Will's. Where is Will, huh, did you leave him home alone, Kate? That's what you used to do with me while you were busy prostituting yourself!"

"Lucas Desmond Roberts, I am your mother. You will not speak to me like that! And what happened to 'mom?'"

"I told you. I told you so many times to leave Sami alone. I warned you what would happen if you ruined this for me."

"I was just trying to protect you!"

"From being in love? From having a family? Oh, wait, I know, you were protecting me from having a life that was separate from yours. You can't stand it when I make my own decisions! And don't think I didn't catch your admission! Trying to protect me, that's complete bullshit! You were trying to keep control. Well, guess what, Kate, it won't work. I want you out of my life, out of Will's life. I never want to see you again. From this point on you are dead to me."

"But, Lucas…"

He didn't wait for her to finish, but instead walked into Sami's hospital room. Lying there she looked so tranquil, completely unaware of the turmoil that had surrounded her. Slowly he walked to her bedside and took a soft, smooth hand in his.

Gently he sat down on the hospital bed and bent forward to kiss her forehead. This small contact broke him and the tears started to fall. Lucas shifted his position so that he could sleep next to her. Laying somewhat comfortably and avoiding any position that would put Sami in pain, he fell asleep.

………………………………...

Blearily, Sami tried to open her eyes. Her body was screaming out in protest and the pain was filling her senses. It was enough to make her consider never waking up again. All the pain was wiped away as she realized that she was wrapped in the warm cocoon of Lucas's arms. Despite the soreness that was sure to follow, she moved in the bed to look at him more closely.

He was sleeping peacefully, with that adorable little boy expression. His hair was completely messed up and she quietly ran her fingers through his hair. It hurt like hell to move at all, but she didn't care. Tenderly she ran her fingers down the side of his face, his stubble was starting to show. Slowly his intense brown eyes opened and met hers.

Lucas smiled sleepily and brushed a light finger over her bottom lip, "Hey."

She smiled a sad smile and shook her head, "I don't understand. You hate me."

"No," he buried his face in her hair, "I love you."

Sami buried her face in his chest and inhaled the clean, masculine scent, "I don't understand."

Lucas pulled back just enough to look in her eyes, "All you need to know right now is that my mother is never coming near us again and we are getting married once you are completely healed."

Sami wanted to ask more. She wanted to know what Kate had done and how she had ended up in the hospital. She wanted to know why Lucas had a cut on the palm of his hand and why she could smell alcohol on his skin, but not in his breath. She wanted to know what the hell had happened while she had been out, but none of that seemed to matter in Lucas's arms.

Lucas ran a hand over her hair and down her cheek, unconsciously mirroring her actions of just minutes before. He cupped her cheek with his hand. Closing her eyes, Sami leaned into his touch. He loved watching her enjoying his touch, but he needed more. In the softest whisper he asked, "Can I kiss you?"

"You don't have to ask," she answered just as quietly. She needed to know that he wanted her back completely, that she was forgiven. She needed to know they had a chance.

They leaned into each other until finally their lips met in a soft, sweet kiss. That feeling he had been thinking of hours before engulfed him once again and he felt as if he would cry in relief. Lucas may not have been able to remember the last time they kissed, but he knew he'd remember this one.


End file.
